Explain two policy differences between the Conservative and Liberal Democratic Parties.
by
erinruth99gmailcom (student)
Explain two policy differences between the Conservative and Liberal Democratic Parties. [10]
When the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats entered into a coalition arrangement in 2010 there was considerable surprise given the significant policy differences between them. Since then some of these differences have surfaced particularly over university tuition fees, reform of the NHS, reform of the financial system, over Europe and over many other issues.
Firstly, they disagree over defence policy, in particular Trident. The Conservatives say replacing Trident in its current form is the best option. Conservative leader and Prime Minister David Cameron has always maintained the UK needs to keep its nuclear weapons, calling it an "insurance policy" against attacks. Replacing Trident was a Tory manifesto pledge in the 2015 general election. They claim it would be foolish to scrap Britain’s fleet of nuclear submarines while countries like Iran and North Korea seek to develop their own atomic weapons. George Osborne has announced more than £500m of funding for the Royal Navy’s submarine base at Faslane, the home of Britain’s Trident nuclear deterrent. On the other hand, the Lib Dems believe the UK should step down the nuclear ladder and end the unnecessary 24-hour nuclear patrols of the high seas, designed to meet a Cold War threat that no longer exists. This was part of their 2015 General Election. They are committed to the global elimination of nuclear weapons, and ending 24-hour patrols and procuring fewer submarines would be the greatest step towards that goal the UK will have ever taken. Current Lib Dem leader Tim Fallon said the costs of Trident replacement are “staggering” – particularly in the current austerity world we live in. At estimated costs of almost £25bn for a like-for-like replacement over the cost of the programme, it’s hard to argue that we are getting value for money.
